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Trabalhadores pobres sofrem o impacto da onda de calor na Índia

Para o trabalhador da construção civil Yogendra Tundri, a vida em um canteiro de obras nos arredores da capital da Índia, Nova Délhi, já é bastante difícil. Este ano, as altas temperaturas recordes estão tornando-o insuportável. Enquanto a Índia enfrenta uma onda de calor sem precedentes, a grande maioria dos trabalhadores pobres do país, que geralmente trabalham ao ar livre, está exposta a temperaturas escaldantes. “Há muito calor e se não trabalharmos, o que vamos comer? Por alguns dias, trabalhamos e depois ficamos sem trabalhar por alguns dias por causa do cansaço e do calor”, disse Tendre. Registre-se agora para obter acesso ilimitado e gratuito ao Reuters.com As altas temperaturas na área de Nova Délhi, que chegaram a 49 graus Celsius em algumas áreas no domingo, muitas vezes fizeram com que Tenderey e sua esposa Lata, que trabalham no mesmo canteiro de obras, adoecessem. Isso, por sua vez, significa que eles perdem renda. Lata disse enquanto estava do lado de fora de sua casa, um barraco improvisado com telhado de zinco. Os cientistas associaram o início precoce de um verão escaldante às mudanças climáticas e dizem que mais de um bilhão de pessoas na vizinha Índia e Paquistão estão de alguma forma em risco com o calor extremo. Consulte Mais informação A Índia sofreu seu março mais quente em mais de 100 anos e partes do país experimentaram as temperaturas mais altas de todos os tempos em abril. Muitos lugares, incluindo Nova Délhi, viram a escala de temperatura acima de 40 graus Celsius. Mais de duas dúzias de pessoas morreram de suspeita de insolação desde o final de março, e a demanda por eletricidade está em seu nível mais alto em vários anos. READ Eleições francesas: Eleitores vão às urnas na corrida presidencial Trabalhadores trabalham em um canteiro de obras em um dia quente de verão em Noida, Índia, em 12 de maio de 2022 REUTERS/Anushri Fadnavis O primeiro-ministro Narendra Modi pediu aos governos estaduais que implementem medidas para mitigar o impacto do calor extremo. Consulte Mais informação As temperaturas devem cair dentro e ao redor de Nova Délhi nos próximos três dias, mas o Departamento Meteorológico da Índia (IMD) previu uma onda de calor novamente na sexta-feira. Tendri e Laata vivem com seus dois filhos pequenos em uma favela perto do canteiro de obras em Noida, cidade pertencente a Nova Délhi. Eles se mudaram de seu estado natal de Chhattisgarh, no centro da Índia, para procurar trabalho e salários mais altos na capital. No canteiro de obras, os trabalhadores escalam muros, colocam concreto e carregam cargas pesadas, usando lenços esfarrapados em volta da cabeça como proteção do sol. Mas mesmo quando o casal termina seu trabalho diário, eles não descansam o suficiente porque sua casa está quente, tendo aproveitado o calor do sol o dia todo. Dados do governo federal mostraram que o estresse por calor foi a causa mais comum de morte, depois dos raios, por forças da natureza nos últimos 20 anos, disse Avikal Somvanshi, pesquisador de ambiente urbano do Centro de Ciência e Meio Ambiente da Índia. “A maioria dessas mortes ocorre entre homens com idades entre 30 e 45 anos. Estes são homens de colarinho azul da classe trabalhadora que não têm escolha a não ser trabalhar no calor sufocante”, disse Somfanci. Somvanshi disse que não há leis na Índia que proíbam atividades ao ar livre quando as temperaturas atingem um certo nível, ao contrário de alguns países do Oriente Médio.

Trabalhadores pobres sofrem o impacto da onda de calor na Índia

Para o trabalhador da construção civil Yogendra Tundri, a vida em um canteiro de obras nos arredores da capital da Índia, Nova Délhi, já é bastante difícil. Este ano, as altas temperaturas recordes estão tornando-o insuportável. Enquanto a Índia enfrenta uma onda de calor sem precedentes, a grande maioria dos trabalhadores pobres do país, que geralmente trabalham ao ar livre, está exposta a temperaturas escaldantes. “Há muito calor e se não trabalharmos, o que vamos comer? Por alguns dias, trabalhamos e depois ficamos sem trabalhar por alguns dias por causa do cansaço e do calor”, disse Tendre. Registre-se agora para obter acesso ilimitado e gratuito ao Reuters.com As temperaturas na área de Nova Délhi chegaram a 45 graus Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) este ano, muitas vezes fazendo com que Tendri e sua esposa Lata, que trabalha no mesmo canteiro de obras, adoeçam. Isso, por sua vez, significa que eles perdem renda. A severa onda de calor provavelmente fará com que algumas partes de Delhi vejam temperaturas ao norte de 120 graus Fahrenheit na segunda-feira, de acordo com o Departamento Meteorológico da Índia (IMD). Lata disse enquanto estava do lado de fora de sua casa, um barraco improvisado com telhado de zinco. Os cientistas associaram o início precoce de um verão escaldante às mudanças climáticas e dizem que mais de um bilhão de pessoas na vizinha Índia e Paquistão estão de alguma forma em risco com o calor extremo. A Índia sofreu seu março mais quente em mais de 100 anos e partes do país experimentaram as temperaturas mais altas de todos os tempos em abril. READ Explosões destruíram duas torres de rádio na região separatista da Transnístria, na Moldávia Trabalhadores trabalham em um canteiro de obras em um dia quente de verão em Noida, Índia, em 12 de maio de 2022 REUTERS/Anushri Fadnavis Muitos lugares, incluindo Nova Délhi, viram a escala de temperatura acima de 40 graus Celsius. Mais de duas dúzias de pessoas morreram de suspeita de insolação desde o final de março, e a demanda por eletricidade está em seu nível mais alto em vários anos. O primeiro-ministro Narendra Modi pediu aos governos estaduais que implementem medidas para mitigar o impacto do calor extremo. Consulte Mais informação Tendri e Laata vivem com seus dois filhos pequenos em uma favela perto do canteiro de obras em Noida, cidade pertencente a Nova Délhi. Eles se mudaram de seu estado natal de Chhattisgarh, no centro da Índia, para procurar trabalho e salários mais altos na capital. No canteiro de obras, os trabalhadores escalam muros, colocam concreto e carregam cargas pesadas, usando lenços esfarrapados em volta da cabeça como proteção do sol. Mas mesmo quando o casal termina seu trabalho diário, eles não descansam o suficiente porque sua casa está quente, tendo aproveitado o calor do sol o dia todo. Dados do governo federal mostraram que o estresse por calor foi a causa mais comum de morte, depois dos raios, por forças da natureza nos últimos 20 anos, disse Avikal Somvanshi, pesquisador de ambiente urbano do Centro de Ciência e Meio Ambiente da Índia. “A maioria dessas mortes ocorre entre homens com idades entre 30 e 45 anos. Estes são homens de colarinho azul da classe trabalhadora que não têm escolha a não ser trabalhar no calor sufocante”, disse Somfanci.

Trabalhadores pobres sofrem o impacto da onda de calor na Índia

Para o trabalhador da construção civil Yogendra Tundri, a vida em um canteiro de obras nos arredores da capital da Índia, Nova Délhi, já é bastante difícil. Este ano, as altas temperaturas recordes estão tornando-o insuportável. Enquanto a Índia enfrenta uma onda de calor sem precedentes, a grande maioria dos trabalhadores pobres do país, que geralmente trabalham ao ar livre, está exposta a temperaturas escaldantes. “Há muito calor e se não trabalharmos, o que vamos comer? Por alguns dias, trabalhamos e depois ficamos sem trabalhar por alguns dias por causa do cansaço e do calor”, disse Tendre. Registre-se agora para obter acesso ilimitado e gratuito ao Reuters.com As temperaturas na área de Nova Délhi chegaram a 45 graus Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) este ano, muitas vezes fazendo com que Tendri e sua esposa Lata, que trabalha no mesmo canteiro de obras, adoeçam. Isso, por sua vez, significa que eles perdem renda. A severa onda de calor provavelmente fará com que algumas partes de Delhi vejam temperaturas ao norte de 120 graus Fahrenheit na segunda-feira, de acordo com o Departamento Meteorológico da Índia (IMD). Lata disse enquanto estava do lado de fora de sua casa, um barraco improvisado com telhado de zinco. Os cientistas associaram o início precoce de um verão escaldante às mudanças climáticas e dizem que mais de um bilhão de pessoas na vizinha Índia e Paquistão estão de alguma forma em risco com o calor extremo. A Índia sofreu seu março mais quente em mais de 100 anos e partes do país experimentaram as temperaturas mais altas de todos os tempos em abril. READ Forças russas bombardeiam grandes cidades e Ucrânia pede sanções mais duras Trabalhadores trabalham em um canteiro de obras em um dia quente de verão em Noida, Índia, em 12 de maio de 2022 REUTERS/Anushri Fadnavis Muitos lugares, incluindo Nova Délhi, viram a escala de temperatura acima de 40 graus Celsius. Mais de duas dúzias de pessoas morreram de suspeita de insolação desde o final de março, e a demanda por eletricidade está em seu nível mais alto em vários anos. O primeiro-ministro Narendra Modi pediu aos governos estaduais que implementem medidas para mitigar o impacto do calor extremo. Consulte Mais informação Tendri e Laata vivem com seus dois filhos pequenos em uma favela perto do canteiro de obras em Noida, cidade pertencente a Nova Délhi. Eles se mudaram de seu estado natal de Chhattisgarh, no centro da Índia, para procurar trabalho e salários mais altos na capital. No canteiro de obras, os trabalhadores escalam muros, colocam concreto e carregam cargas pesadas, usando lenços esfarrapados em volta da cabeça como proteção do sol. Mas mesmo quando o casal termina seu trabalho diário, eles não descansam o suficiente porque sua casa está quente, tendo aproveitado o calor do sol o dia todo. Dados do governo federal mostraram que o estresse por calor foi a causa mais comum de morte, depois dos raios, por forças da natureza nos últimos 20 anos, disse Avikal Somvanshi, pesquisador de ambiente urbano do Centro de Ciência e Meio Ambiente da Índia. “A maioria dessas mortes ocorre entre homens com idades entre 30 e 45 anos. Estes são homens de colarinho azul da classe trabalhadora que não têm escolha a não ser trabalhar no calor sufocante”, disse Somfanci.

Biedni pracownicy ponoszą ciężar fali upałów w Indiach

Dla pracownika budowlanego Yogendry Tundri życie na placu budowy na obrzeżach stolicy Indii, New Delhi, jest wystarczająco trudne. W tym roku rekordowo wysokie temperatury sprawiają, że jest to nie do zniesienia. Gdy Indie zmagają się z bezprecedensową falą upałów, zdecydowana większość ubogich pracowników w kraju, którzy na ogół pracują na zewnątrz, jest narażona na wysokie temperatury. „Jest dużo ciepła i jeśli nie będziemy pracować, co będziemy jeść? Przez kilka dni pracujemy, a potem siedzimy bez pracy przez kilka dni z powodu zmęczenia i upału” – powiedział Tendre. Zarejestruj się teraz, aby uzyskać bezpłatny nieograniczony dostęp do Reuters.com Wysokie temperatury w rejonie New Delhi, które w niedziele przekraczały 120 Fahrenheita (49 stopni Celsjusza), często powodowały, że Tenderey i jego żona Lata, którzy pracują na tym samym placu budowy, często chorowali. To z kolei oznacza, że ​​tracą dochody. – powiedział Lata, stojąc przed domem, prowizoryczną szopą z blaszanym dachem. Naukowcy powiązali wczesny początek upalnego lata ze zmianą klimatu i twierdzą, że ponad miliard ludzi w sąsiednich Indiach i Pakistanie jest w jakiś sposób zagrożonych ekstremalnymi upałami. Czytaj więcej Indie przeżyły najcieplejszy marzec od ponad 100 lat, a niektóre części kraju doświadczyły w kwietniu najwyższych temperatur w historii. W wielu miejscach, w tym w New Delhi, skala temperatur przekracza 40 stopni Celsjusza. Od końca marca ponad dwadzieścia osób zmarło z powodu podejrzenia udaru cieplnego, a zapotrzebowanie na energię elektryczną jest najwyższe od kilku lat. Pracownicy pracują na placu budowy w upalny letni dzień w Noida w Indiach, 12 maja 2022 r. REUTERS / Anushri Fadnavis Premier Narendra Modi wezwał rządy stanowe do wprowadzenia środków w celu złagodzenia skutków ekstremalnych upałów. Czytaj więcej READ Pierwszy przywódca UE, który spotkał Putina od czasu inwazji na Ukrainę, powiedział, że rosyjski przywódca „wierzy, że wygrywa wojnę” Temperatury prawdopodobnie spadną w New Delhi i wokół niego w ciągu najbliższych trzech dni, ale indyjski Departament Meteorologiczny (IMD) przewiduje, że w piątek ponownie nastąpi fala upałów. Tendri i Laata mieszkają z dwójką małych dzieci w slumsach w pobliżu placu budowy w Noida, mieście należącym do New Delhi. Przeprowadzili się ze swojego rodzinnego stanu Chhattisgarh w środkowych Indiach, aby szukać pracy i wyższych zarobków w stolicy. Na placu budowy pracownicy wspinają się po ścianach, kładą beton i niosą ciężkie ładunki, używając poszarpanych szalików na głowach jako ochrony przed słońcem. Ale nawet gdy para kończy swoją codzienną pracę, nie odpoczywa wystarczająco, ponieważ w ich domu jest gorąco, ponieważ przez cały dzień wygrzewali się na słońcu. Dane rządu federalnego wykazały, że stres cieplny był najczęstszą przyczyną śmierci, po uderzeniu pioruna, z powodu sił natury w ciągu ostatnich 20 lat, powiedział Avikal Somvanshi, badacz środowiska miejskiego z Centrum Nauki i Środowiska w Indiach. „Większość z tych zgonów ma miejsce wśród mężczyzn w wieku od 30 do 45 lat. Są to robotnicy z klasy robotniczej, którzy nie mają innego wyboru, jak tylko pracować w upalnym upale” – powiedział Somfanci. Somvanshi powiedział, że w Indiach nie ma przepisów zakazujących aktywności na świeżym powietrzu, gdy temperatura przekracza pewien poziom, w przeciwieństwie do niektórych krajów Bliskiego Wschodu.

Biedni pracownicy ponoszą ciężar fali upałów w Indiach

Dla pracownika budowlanego Yogendry Tundri życie na placu budowy na obrzeżach stolicy Indii, New Delhi, jest wystarczająco trudne. W tym roku rekordowo wysokie temperatury sprawiają, że jest to nie do zniesienia. Gdy Indie zmagają się z bezprecedensową falą upałów, zdecydowana większość ubogich pracowników w kraju, którzy zazwyczaj pracują na zewnątrz, jest narażona na wysokie temperatury. „Jest dużo ciepła i jeśli nie będziemy pracować, co będziemy jeść? Przez kilka dni pracujemy, a potem siedzimy bez pracy przez kilka dni z powodu zmęczenia i upału” – powiedział Tendre. Zarejestruj się teraz, aby uzyskać bezpłatny nieograniczony dostęp do Reuters.com Wysokie temperatury w rejonie New Delhi, które w niedziele przekraczały 120 Fahrenheita (49 stopni Celsjusza), często powodowały, że Tenderey i jego żona Lata, którzy pracują na tym samym placu budowy, często chorowali. To z kolei oznacza, że ​​tracą dochody. – powiedział Lata, stojąc przed domem, prowizoryczną szopą z blaszanym dachem. Naukowcy powiązali wczesny początek upalnego lata ze zmianą klimatu i twierdzą, że ponad miliard ludzi w sąsiednich Indiach i Pakistanie jest w jakiś sposób zagrożonych ekstremalnymi upałami. Czytaj więcej Indie przeżyły najcieplejszy marzec od ponad 100 lat, a niektóre części kraju doświadczyły w kwietniu najwyższych temperatur w historii. W wielu miejscach, w tym w New Delhi, skala temperatur przekracza 40 stopni Celsjusza. Od końca marca ponad dwadzieścia osób zmarło z powodu podejrzenia udaru cieplnego, a zapotrzebowanie na energię elektryczną jest najwyższe od kilku lat. Pracownicy pracują na placu budowy w upalny letni dzień w Noida w Indiach, 12 maja 2022 r. REUTERS / Anushri Fadnavis Premier Narendra Modi wezwał rządy stanowe do wprowadzenia środków w celu złagodzenia skutków ekstremalnych upałów. Czytaj więcej READ Niedawne okrucieństwa w Rosji uwolniły chmurę kwasu azotowego, który może oślepić Ukraińców Temperatury prawdopodobnie spadną w New Delhi i wokół niego w ciągu najbliższych trzech dni, ale indyjski Departament Meteorologiczny (IMD) przewiduje, że w piątek ponownie nastąpi fala upałów. Tendri i Laata mieszkają z dwójką małych dzieci w slumsach w pobliżu placu budowy w Noida, mieście należącym do New Delhi. Przeprowadzili się ze swojego rodzinnego stanu Chhattisgarh w środkowych Indiach, aby szukać pracy i wyższych zarobków w stolicy. Na placu budowy pracownicy wspinają się po ścianach, kładą beton i niosą ciężkie ładunki, używając poszarpanych szalików na głowach jako ochrony przed słońcem. Ale nawet gdy para kończy swoją codzienną pracę, nie odpoczywa wystarczająco, ponieważ w ich domu jest gorąco, ponieważ przez cały dzień wygrzewali się na słońcu. Dane rządu federalnego wykazały, że stres cieplny był najczęstszą przyczyną śmierci, po uderzeniu pioruna, z powodu sił natury w ciągu ostatnich 20 lat, powiedział Avikal Somvanshi, badacz środowiska miejskiego z Centrum Nauki i Środowiska w Indiach. „Większość z tych zgonów ma miejsce wśród mężczyzn w wieku od 30 do 45 lat. Są to robotnicy z klasy robotniczej, którzy nie mają innego wyboru, jak tylko pracować w upalnym upale” – powiedział Somfanci. Somvanshi powiedział, że w Indiach nie ma przepisów zakazujących aktywności na świeżym powietrzu, gdy temperatura przekracza pewien poziom, w przeciwieństwie do niektórych krajów Bliskiego Wschodu.

Fattige arbeidere bærer hovedtyngden av Indias hetebølge

For bygningsarbeider Yogendra Tundre er livet på en byggeplass i utkanten av den indiske hovedstaden New Delhi vanskelig nok. I år er det rekordhøye temperaturer som gjør det uutholdelig. Mens India kjemper mot en enestående hetebølge, er landets store flertall av fattige arbeidere, som vanligvis jobber utendørs, sårbare for de brennende temperaturene. «Det er for mye varme, og hvis vi ikke vil jobbe, hva skal vi spise? I noen dager jobber vi og så sitter vi stille i noen dager på grunn av tretthet og varme,» sa Tundre. Registrer deg nå for GRATIS ubegrenset tilgang til Reuters.com Registrere Temperaturene i New Delhi-området har nådd 45 grader Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) i år, noe som ofte har fått Tundre og kona hans Lata, som jobber på samme byggeplass, til å bli syke. Det betyr igjen at de mister inntekt. «På grunn av varme går jeg noen ganger ikke på jobb. Jeg tar fri… mange ganger, blir syk av dehydrering og trenger deretter glukoseflasker (intravenøse væsker),» sa Lata mens han sto utenfor huset deres, en midlertidig shanty med blikktak. Les Også: India er i et søtt sted, etterfulgt av Quad, Kina og Russland Forskere har knyttet den tidlige starten av en intens sommer til klimaendringer, og sier at mer enn en milliard mennesker i India og nabolandet Pakistan på en eller annen måte var utsatt for den ekstreme varmen. India gjennomgikk sin varmeste mars på mer enn 100 år, og deler av landet opplevde sine høyeste temperaturer som er registrert i april. Arbeidere jobber på en byggeplass på en varm sommerdag i Noida, India, 12. mai 2022. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis Les mer Mange steder, inkludert New Delhi, så temperaturmåleren topp 40 grader Celsius. Mer enn to dusin mennesker har dødd av mistenkt heteslag siden slutten av mars, og etterspørselen etter strøm har nådd flere års høyder. Statsminister Narendra Modi har bedt statlige myndigheter om å utarbeide tiltak for å dempe virkningen av den ekstreme varmen. Les mer Tundre og Lata bor med sine to små barn i en slum nær byggeplassen i Noida, en satellittby i New Delhi. De flyttet fra hjemstaten Chhattisgarh i det sentrale India for å søke arbeid og høyere lønn rundt i hovedstaden. På byggeplassen skalerer arbeidere opp vegger, legger betong og bærer tunge lass, og bruker fillete skjerf rundt hodet som beskyttelse mot solen. Men selv når paret er ferdig med dagens arbeid, har de lite pusterom da hjemmet deres er varmt, etter å ha absorbert varmen fra solen hele dagen lang. Avikal Somvanshi, en bymiljøforsker fra Indias senter for vitenskap og miljø, sa at føderale myndigheters data viste at varmestress var den vanligste dødsårsaken, etter lynnedslag, fra naturkreftene de siste tjue årene. «De fleste av disse dødsfallene skjer hos menn i alderen 30-45 år. Dette er arbeiderklassemenn som ikke har annet valg enn å jobbe i den brennende heten,» sa Somvanshi. Det er ingen lover i India som forhindrer utendørsaktivitet når temperaturen bryter et visst nivå, i motsetning til i enkelte land i Midtøsten, sa Somvanshi.

Poor workers bear the brunt of India's heatwave

As India suffers from an unprecedented heatwave, the country's majority of poor workers, who generally work outdoors, are vulnerable to scorching temperatures. Temperatures in the New Delhi area have touched 45 degrees Celsius this year, often causing Tundre, and his wife Lata, who works at the same construction site, to fall sick. That in turn means they lose income. The relentless heatwave is likely to result in some parts of Delhi experiencing temperatures north of 49 degrees Celsius on Monday (May 16), according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Scientists have linked the early onset of an intense summer to climate change, and say more than a billion people in India and neighboring Pakistan are in some way at risk from the extreme heat. India suffered its hottest March in more than 100 years and parts of the country experienced their highest temperatures on record in April. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called on state governments to draw up measures to mitigate the impact of the extreme heat. Avikal Somvanshi, an urban environment researcher from India's Centre for Science and Environment, said federal government data showed that heat stress was the most common cause of death, after lightning, from forces of nature in the last 20 years. There are no laws in India that prevent outdoor activity when temperatures reach a certain level, Somvanshi said.

貧しい労働者がインドの猛暑に直撃弾を打っている

– 建設労働者Yogendra Tundreに、インドの首都ニューデリー郊外の建設現場での生活は十分に苦労しています。 今年は記録的な高温に耐えられなくなっています。 インドが前例のない猛暑で苦しんでいる間、一般に屋外で働く貧しい労働者の大半は熱い気温に弱いです。 ツンドレは「暑さが多すぎて仕事をしないと何を食べるか？数日間仕事をして疲れや暑さのために数日間のんびりと座っている」と話した。 今すぐ登録してReuters.comへの無料無制限アクセス 今年ニューデリー地域の気温は摂氏45度（華氏113度）に達し、同じ建設現場で働くツンドレと彼の妻ラタが病気になることが多いです。 これはすぐに収入を失うことを意味します。 インドの気象庁（IMD）によると、無慈悲な爆発により、デリーの一部地域が月曜日の北に華氏120度以上の気温を記録する可能性があります。 Lataは臨時板屋の家の外に立って「暑くてたまに仕事をすることができない。休む日が多い…何度も脱水症で体が痛くてグルコース病（静脈注射液）が必要だ」と話した。 ブリキ屋根で。 科学者たちは、強烈な夏の初期の始まりを気候変動と結びつけ、インドと近隣のパキスタンの10億人を超える人々が何らかの方法で激しい暑さのために危険にさらされていると言います。 インドは100年で最も暑い3月を経験し、一部の地域は4月に史上最高気温を記録しました。 2022年5月12日、インドノイダの暑い夏の日の建設現場で労働者が働いている。 REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis ニューデリーを含む多くの場所で、温度計は最高摂氏40度を記録しました。 3月末から熱中症の疑いで20人以上が死亡し、電力需要は数年来最高値を更新しました。 ナレンドラ・モディ首相は、州政府に爆炎の影響を軽減するための措置を講じるよう促しました。 もっと読む TundreとLataは、ニューデリーの衛星都市であるNoidaの建設現場の近くのスラム街で2人の子供と一緒に暮らしています。 彼らは故郷のインド中部のチャティスガルから移住し、首都の周りで雇用と高い賃金を救いました。 建設現場では、労働者は壁を広げ、コンクリートを敷いて重い荷物を取り、太陽から保護するためにゆるいスカーフを頭に置いています。 しかし、夫婦は一日を終えた後も一日中太陽熱を吸収して家が暑くて休む隙がない。 インドの科学と環境センターの都市環境研究者であるAvikal Somvanshiは、連邦政府のデータによると、熱ストレスが過去20年間で自然の力による死亡原因のうちの稲妻の次に最も一般的であることを示しています。 「これらの死のほとんどは30〜45歳の男性で発生します。彼らは労働者階級のブルーカラー男性として熱い熱気の中で働くしかありません」とSomvanshiは言いました。 一部の中東諸国とは異なり、インドには気温が特定の水準を超えたときに野外活動を禁止する方法はありません、とSomvanshiは言いました。 今すぐ登録してReuters.comへの無料無制限アクセス

Poor workers bear the brunt of India’s heatwave

NOIDA, India (Reuters) – For construction worker Yogendra Tundre, life at a building site on the outskirts of the Indian capital New Delhi is hard enough. This year, record high temperatures are making it unbearable. As India grapples with an unprecedented heatwave, the country’s vast majority of poor workers, who generally work outdoors, are vulnerable to the scorching temperatures. “There is too much heat and if we won’t work, what will we eat? For a few days, we work and then we sit idle for a few days because of tiredness and heat,” Tundre said. Temperatures in the New Delhi area have touched 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) this year, often causing Tundre, and his wife Lata, who works at the same construction site, to fall sick. That in turn means they lose income. “Because of heat, sometimes I don’t go to work. I take days off… many times, fall sick from dehydration and then require glucose bottles (intravenous fluids),” Lata said while standing outside their house, a temporary shanty with a tin roof. Scientists have linked the early onset of an intense summer to climate change, and say more than a billion people in India and neighbouring Pakistan were in some way at risk from the extreme heat. India suffered its hottest March in more than 100 years and parts of the country experienced their highest temperatures on record in April. Many places, including New Delhi, saw the temperature gauge top 40 degrees Celsius. More than two dozen people have died of suspected heat strokes since late March, and power demand has hit multi-year highs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called on state governments to draw up measures to mitigate the impact of the extreme heat. Tundre and Lata live with their two young children in a slum near the construction site in Noida, a satellite city of New Delhi. They moved from their home state of Chhattisgarh in central India to seek work and higher wages around the capital. On the construction site, labourers scale up walls, lay concrete and carry heavy loads, using ragged scarves around their heads as protection against the sun. But even when the couple finish their day’s work, they have little respite as their home is hot, having absorbed the heat of the sun all day long. Avikal Somvanshi, an urban environment researcher from India’s Centre for Science and Environment, said federal government data showed that heat stress was the most-common cause of death, after lightning, from forces of nature in the last twenty years. “Most of these deaths occur in men aged 30-45. These are working class, blue-collar men who have no option but to be working in the scorching heat,” Somvanshi said. There are no laws in India that prevent outdoor activity when temperatures breach a certain level, unlike in some Middle-Eastern countries, Somvanshi said.

Altered Carbon: DPCC To Fight PM1 Menace

New Delhi: With PM1, black carbon and brown carbon having harmful effects on human health, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) is planning to monitor their concentration at various stations in the city. Officials said their monitoring would help in identifying emission sources. DPCC currently monitors PM2.5, PM10 and concentration of some gases. A DPCC official said, “We are planning to monitor the concentration of PM1, black carbon and brown carbon at a few stations. They are directly related to health and data will be useful in identifying the sources of emission. On the basis of data, we can prepare an action plan to control their levels.” PM1 concentration is currently not measured by DPCC and Central Pollution Control Board and there is no defined national ambient air quality standard for PM1. However, as it is a finer particle, it is considered riskier than PM10 and PM2.5, which have prescribed standards of 100 and 60 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3), respectively. Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said smaller particles were more dangerous. “Monitoring of ambient concentration of PM1 is at a very nascent stage and not practiced widely. There are no ambient air quality standards for PM1 as it is difficult to track it for compliance. But data can be useful to understand the impact of combustion sources on air quality and also evaluate health impacts. The global regulatory approach is to control them at emission sources through stringent standards that ensure adoption of advanced and effective control systems.” Officials said combustion was the main source for both black and brown carbons. Roy Chowdhury said, “Black carbon that comes entirely from combustion sources needs to be controlled not only to reduce toxicity of particulate pollution, but also to reduce warming and climate impacts. Black carbon absorbs heat and contributes to global warming.” An analysis conducted by scientists from Delhi University, JNU and IIT found a sharp increase in PM1 concentration from mid-October to mid-November last year. The data was analysed from a network of 35 sensors in Delhi. It found that while PM1 concentration was less than 100 µg/m3 in September, it ranged from 200-300 µg/m3 from mid-October to mid-November 2021.

Can India Keep Its Net-zero Emissions Pledge?

A brutal heatwave that has exacerbated India’s power crisis is threatening to short-circuit New Delhi’s COP26 commitments At the mega environmental summit—the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly referred to as COP26—hosted by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Scotland last November, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid out an ambitious roadmap of India’s climate action plan. Watched by the world’s who-is-who, Modi announced five significant decisions. India would take its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW by 2030. It would meet 50 per cent of its energy requirements from renewable energy by that date. India wold reduce the total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030. India would also reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by more than 45 per cent by the same year. Finally, he set 2070 as the timeline to achieve net-zero emission. “These panchamrits will be an unprecedented contribution of India to climate action,” Modi said. The US and most of Europe have pledged to achieve net-zero emission by 2050, while China has extended the deadline to 2060. Modi’s announcement was India’s first major commitment to the idea of net-zero emission. Earlier, at the G-7 climate and environment ministers’ meet in June 2021, New Delhi had resisted the net-zero emission target, saying it was not part of the broader policy commitments. But by COP 26, there was a dramatic turnaround in New Delhi’s stand. Perhaps, India realised the importance of being on the right side of the global deb­ate for a country with big power ambitions. There was tremendous pressure from leading Western powers for India to be onboard the emission targets. John Kerry, US President Joe Biden’s special envoy for climate, made at least two trips to New Delhi for consultations. As a country with over one billion people, what India does affects the world’s fight against climate change. But barely five months later, India’s commitments already appear to be under severe stress. With the country battered by a searing heatwave, which has in turn boosted demand for power, the Centre has decided to reopen more than 100 coal mines previously considered financially unsustainable, to fuel the country’s power plants. Acco­r­ding to the government, the country expects to increase coal output by up to 100 million tonnes in the next three years by reopening the closed mines. With pressing domestic compulsions, critics wonder if India will be in a position to deliver what it has promised by 2030. Switching to renewables is not easy, especially in a developing nation like India where there are competing claims on scarce resources. How difficult will it be for New Delhi to deliver on the ground, considering the new green technology is expensive and the money promised by the rich, industrialised nations has merely trickled in? None of them has so far stuck to the promise of providing the one billion dollars annually to poorer countries pledged in the Paris Climate meet in 2015. Lifting India’s teeming millions out of the vici­ous circle of poverty and giving citizens a dec­ent life is the priority of every government. Develop­ment in the traditional sense means need for more energy. For countries like India and China—two of the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters—fossil fuel provides an easy answer. India and China are the world’s top oil importers. Asked how realistic it is to expect cutting renewables by half by 2030, former foreign secretary Shyam Saran, who was involved in the early negotiations on climate action and was Manmo­han Singh’s special envoy on climate change, says. “As I am not in the government, I do not know the inside details. We need green technology and an energy mix, hydel power is a good and clean source, so are nuclear and renewables like solar and wind. But green technology is expensive, so much will depend on how quickly new technology can be obtained at a reasonable rate.” One of the selling points for the civil nuclear deal with the US was clean energy from nuclear power stations. However, the world is now gradually turning away from nuclear energy. Especially after the Fukushima radiation leaks in Japan in 2011 led to a backlash over nuc­lear power. Even countries like France, that gets over 70 per cent of its electricity from nuclear energy, are now committed to stop new nuclear plants. In India too, despite the promise of clean energy, there has been little progress. The French nuclear plant in Jaitapur in coastal Maharashtra is now more or less abandoned, thanks to public protests. The Fuku­s­hima disaster had also led to massive protests against the Russian-built Kudankulam nuclear power station in Tamil Nadu. The government, however, rode through the protests and the plant continues to supply electricity to Tamil Nadu since 2016. The Prime Minister’s International Solar Alliance is a good initiative, but the technology has to be further streamlined as there are problems—sometimes with the panels, as well as days, especially during the monsoons, when the sky is overcast. Wind power has the same problems. The unreliability of both solar and wind as compared to fossil fuels is a major issue, as storage becomes a serious setback. Large battery packs are also very expensive. “To meet 50 per cent of its power requirements by 2030 from ren­ewable energy, India will need to increase ins­talled capacity of renewables to 700 GW. If India considers hydroelectricity as part of ren­ewables, then it will need to increase new renewable capacity to 630 GW. This is an ambitious target, and will require cheap finance, removal of policy uncertainties and the development of storage technologies,” says Avantika Goswami, programme manager, climate change at the Centre for Science and Environment. She goes on to add, “The expansion of distributed renewable energy with storage systems is critical for improving energy access and reducing energy poverty. So, while there may be a transition process for grid integration of renewable energy, in the long run it is beneficial for the poor, particularly in remote rural regions.” The Centre has decided to reopen 100-plus coal mines previously considered financially unsustainable, to fuel the country’s power plants. The climate debate Developing nations consider the rich, industrialised countries responsible for global warming and say they bear special responsibility for cleaning up the globe. Earlier, nations like India and China would argue that they are not responsible for the present situation. But the blame game is getting the world nowhere towards finding an urgent solution. The need now is for the rich countries to extend financial help to developing nations. India believes that transfer of climate funds and low-cost technology are essential to power the transition to green energy. Modi raised this issue in Glasgow when he said, “India expects developed countries to provide climate finance of US$1 trillion at the earliest. Today, it is necessary that as we track the progress made in climate mitigation, we should also track climate finance. The proper justice would be that the countries which do not live up to their promises made on climate finance, pressure should be put on them.” As always, the poor have to bear the brunt of a warming planet. Whether it is flash floods, heatwave or bitter cold, those who live in shanties are hit the hardest. Climate change-related displacements affect mainly the poor and the urban underclass. As India tries to gradually switch from coal to renewables, coal mining will come to a halt. The poor will be the hardest hit. Not just those working in the mines, but the ancillary industries and makeshift markets that grow around mining townships. “The energy transition will change the nature of employment and economic security in the country,” says Aditya Valiathan Pillai of the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), who tracks climate change. “But it is not a simple, linear story. There are at least three angles to this. First, those employed in the fossil fuel industry, particularly in India’s coal-rich states, will have to look elsewhere for their livelihoods if India decides to take net-zero seriously in the coming decades. Governments will have to offer them safety nets, skills re-training and investments for a soft landing.” But there is also a positive side, she says. “The transition could well lead to a new generation of renewables manufacturing jobs. And third, an element frequently left out, is that an aggressive transition by India and other large emitters could reduce the frequency and magnitude of climate impacts, thus preventing people from entering the poverty spirals that come with them,” adds Pillai.

Experts hail warning labels on food packaging towards health security of Indian consumers

Experts have also expressed their strong disagreement towards the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for moving ahead to introduce a Health Star Rating (HSR) label in the Indian market. Experts unanimously have hailed that warning labels are the most effective Front of Package Labelling (FOPL) to help Indian consumers identify and avoid unhealthy foods. These views emerged from a webinar organised by CUTS International to hear from experts on the topic “Why Health Star Rating (HSR) is not suitable for India?” Experts have also expressed their strong disagreement towards the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for moving ahead to introduce a Health Star Rating (HSR) label in the Indian market. This move is based upon a limited study carried out by a business school by ignoring the global best practices and evidence around it. To help consumers make healthier choices, Australia and New Zealand had introduced the voluntary HSR system in 2014. But studies show that the system is highly flawed as unhealthy products are still able to get a high score. This is because the rating is based on the overall nutritional value, and the inclusion of healthy ingredients (i.e. fibre, protein and vitamins) cancel out the unhealthy ingredients (i.e. sugar, saturated fats and salt). More importantly, the system does not effectively assist the vulnerable consumers who need it the most. George Cheriyan, Director, CUTS International, and a member of Food Authority (FSSAI) as a special invitee, while strongly objecting to some of the finding of the IIM A study, quoted in his keynote address that the policy makers of our country should remember that Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) contribute to 62 percent of total deaths in India; of concern are the preventable premature deaths, which account for a staggering 48 percent of mortality. Presently, the food regulator, who is having the mandate to ensure safe food to the people of this country, totally ignored the aspect of NCDs, linkage with food high in sugar, salt and fat, and the role FoPL can play, while choosing the format for FoPL. He added that it was generally felt that the very objective of all the stakeholder consultations chaired by the FSSAI, which were heavily dominated by the packaged food industry, was to come up with a labelling system, which is ultimately more industry-friendly rather than for addressing the needs of the consumers in India. Dr. Lindsey Smith Taillie, Assistant professor at the University of North Carolina, gave a detailed presentation touching upon different kinds of labels particularly given the context touching upon the HSR label and the warning label. She pointed out that even after 8 years of implementation of the HSR label in Australia there is still no evidence of it creating a significant impact on the nutritional quality of people’s food and beverage purchases. Infact this type of label promotes ultra-processed food products by confusing the consumers. She further added that a warning label, which has a wider global acceptance helps to achieve two most important goals of a labeling system i.e., inform consumers and reduce consumption of unhealthy foods. She also highlighted few evidence to prove her stand and even spoke about a field experiment done in India very recently to test whether FoPLs helped Indian consumers identify ‘high-in’ foods and reduce intentions to purchase them. Dr. Lindsey, who has published over 115 articles in top academic journals and her work on front-of-package labeling featuring in the New York Times, the Guardian, and other international media outlets, elaborated about an in-person randomized experiment study covering 2,869 adults between ages 18 and 60 years old in six states of India. Participants were randomized to one of five FOPLs: a control label (barcode), warning label, HSR, Guideline Daily Amount (GDA), or traffic light label. Fewer than half of participants in the control group (39.1 percent) correctly identified all products high in nutrient(s) of concern. All FOPLs led to an increase in this outcome, with the biggest differences observed for the warning label (60.8 percent) followed by the traffic light label (54.8 percent), GDA (55.0 percent), and HSR (45.0 percent). Relative to the control, only the warning label led to a reduction in intentions to purchase the products. The results suggest that warning labels are the most effective FOPL to help Indian consumers identify and avoid unhealthy foods. During the discussion, Saroja Sundaram, Executive Director, Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group (CAG), Chennai spoke about how Dr. Lindsey’s presentation re-emphasis our campaign for a warning label. She stressed that HSR does not do well among the Indian population and it will never support in achieving the goal of FoPL. Ashim Sanyal, Chief Operating Officer of Consumer VOICE and a member of the Central Advisory Committee of FSSAI, pointed out that the presentation and the findings of the study carried out by Dr. Lindsey and team once again highlighted how our regulators are on the wrong foot. Through the HSR label our regulators are trying to convey something which is beyond the understanding of a common consumer. Amit Khurana, Director, Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi while sharing his journey with FoPL regulation and discussions hoped that FSSAI would someday muster up the courage and deliver the mandate they are given. He claimed that none other than FSSAI better knows that symbol based labels would do wonders among consumers in India, given their experience with labels/logos highlighting foods that are veg, non-veg, vegan foods etc. Before concluding, Antonio Picasso, Director General of Competere, Italy who are closely following the developments happening in India on FoPL shared with the audience their ongoing anti Nutriscore campaign launched in Europe. The virtual webinar was attended by around 55 delegates from across the country and abroad, including health experts, representatives from national and international organisations, industry representatives, AIIMS, Indian Medical Association, academic and research Institutions from more than 14 states.

Is India's auto industry ready to go electric?

India has big ambitions to slash crude oil imports and push for an electric vehicle future, but high costs and a lack of infrastructure could hamper the country's green narrative. India's manufacturing of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) has kicked off with several automakers rolling out electric cars at a rapid pace. India is among a handful of countries that aim for electric vehicles (EVs) to account for at least 30% of all new automotive sales by 2030. In March, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, who has been championing alternative fuel, drove to Parliament in his hydrogen-powered Toyota car to make a statement that he would use it himself as a pilot project. "I have favored a green transition in fuel, and rapid strides in green fuel technology will reduce the cost of electric vehicles, bringing them on a par with petrol-run vehicles in a short time," Gadkari said. According to NITI Aayog, an Indian public policy think tank, by 2030, 80% of two- and three-wheelers, 40% of buses and 30%-70% of cars in India will be EVs. Can India achieve its green ambitions? At the COP26 summit, India pledged to achieve net-zero emissions status by 2070 and to lower its emission intensity by 45% from 2005 levels by 2030. EVs could help realize these goals and play a pivotal role in India's green transition. "The current trajectory of adding ever more cars running on expensive imported fuel, and cluttering up already overcrowded cities suffering from infrastructure bottlenecks and intense air pollution is unfeasible. India's cities will choke," Heavy Industries Minister Nath Pandey said at a recent meeting. "A transportation revolution will have many components: better walkability, public transportation, railways, roads and better cars. Many of these better cars will likely be electric," he said. The transport sector accounts for 18% of total energy consumption in India, which translates to an estimated 94 million tons of oil-equivalent (MTOE) energy. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency estimates that, if India were to follow the current trends of energy consumption, it would require an estimated 200 MTOE of energy supply annually by 2030 to meet demand. Challenges to an electric future Powered by hydrogen and one of the best clean energy alternatives in vehicles, EVs are more efficient than conventional internal combustion engine vehicles, and produce no tailpipe emissions, reducing pollution levels while emitting water vapor and warm air. Some industry analysts claim that this could potentially allow India to save on crude oil imports worth over $14 billion (€13.5 billion) annually. Rapid adoption of two- and three-wheeler EVs is expected to lead the way to this transition. India's road to a fully electric ecosystem still has a few hurdles — including high costs, inadequate infrastructure and a lack of high-performing EVs. Industry experts estimate that India's transition to electric mobility to reach decarbonization goals would require a deployment of 2.9 million public chargers to meet 102 million EVs. "While the electric vehicle program has begun to receive policy attention at the national and state level, it has not yet been able to catalyze the market to build scale," Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director at Centre for Science and Environment, told DW. She said EVs still made up less than 1% of new vehicle sales and that a regulation target and a zero-emissions mandate at the national level still needed to be developed. State-level EV policies with time-bound targets could make a difference, she said. For instance, Delhi, which has set a target of 25% electrification by 2024, has already increased its share of EVs to 12.5%. "Overall, the challenges of inadequate charging networks ... limited EV models in the market, uncertainty around the battery costs and weak consumer awareness are some of the key factors impeding accelerated electrification," Chowdhury said. Government incentives for EV manufacturing The Indian government introduced its Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in India (FAME) program as well as several supply- and demand-side incentives to facilitate the switch to EVs. Some states have also set their own ambitious EV targets; 18 out of 28 states already have a draft policy in place or have called for one. Safa Khan, an energy consultant, told DW that, while FAME is expected to set up 2,877 charging stations in 68 cities across 25 states by 2024, India only has 934 charging stations to cater to all types of vehicle classes as of June last year. In comparison, China has approximately 900,000. "The planning process needs to strike the right balance between low- and high-power charging points in locations that ensure equitable access to a diversity of EV users," Khan said. "A switch to EVs represents the opportunity for communities to move towards less localized air pollution, and the onus is on the government to ensure these benefits are accrued equitably," she said.

Why India must reassess strategy to achieve sustainable development goals

Forging demonstrable and fast-paced progress towards the attainment of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development goals is the holy grail of policymakers and has occupied significant mind space and bandwidth. Recent indicators, however, do not paint a rosy picture. India has slipped three spots from 117 in 2021 to rank 120 this year on achieving the 17 sustainable development goals, as per the Centre for Science and Environment’s State of India’s Environment Report, 2022. The report states India, with a score of 66, is now behind all South Asian countries except Pakistan. Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh all enjoy a lead over India in the attainment of sustainable development goals. We must therefore reassess the way we are progressing in this regard. Adopted in 2015 by 192 United Nations member-countries as part of the 2030 agenda, the 17 sustainable development goals serve as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The goals are integrated as action in one area will affect outcomes in others. They call for ending poverty by improving health and education, reducing inequality by spurring economic growth – all while tackling climate change by protecting the environment. India has attacked poverty through a mix of social sector schemes to promote the health and wellbeing of citizens. Schemes like Ayushman Bharat, Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan, and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao are all playing a role in driving inclusive development. Even state governments are making important interventions. Earlier this month, Madhya Pradesh launched a government program – Ladli Lakshmi 2.0 where the state pays the fee of girls who pursue medical education, or study at IITs and IIMs. Girls passing class 12th and pursuing college education will receive INR 25,000. The Ladli Lakshmi Yojana has been in force over the past 15 years, and the state government bears the cost of raising the girl child till marriage. Every year, the state celebrates Ladli Lakshmi Utsav from May 2 to May 12. Similarly, civil society organizations are making concerted efforts to enable sustainable development by driving access to health and education. I would cite the example of Smile Foundation which runs Shiksha Na Ruke program benefiting 50,000 children across 22 states, while its Health Cannot Wait campaign mobilizes resources for Covid relief and providing other healthcare services across the country. But there is considerable ground to be covered and reassessment could help. The World Bank estimates India has 100-150 million households living below USD 1.90 consumption per day per person. And the pandemic would have increased the number of ultra-poor households in the country. Way Ahead What is needed is a clutch of targeted, high-impact interventions that can make population-scale impact, fast. Technology holds answers. India has built robust public data stacks on education, health, citizen enumeration, mobile phone penetration and bank account ownership. Innovation using these digital stacks can help us design scalable interventions to deliver impact quickly. Our country is large, diverse, and complex – topographically, climatically, culturally, and population-wise. This is the reason organizations often find it challenging to implement even carefully drafted interventions. This is where we require government, industry, and NGOs to combine forces for positive change. Each of these stakeholders has unique strengths that, when brought together, can make a profound difference. While the government brings scale of operations, corporate India has monetary muscle, organizational might, and planning skills to design effective public interventions. The civil society brings with it on-ground connect and experience of implementing public welfare initiatives. They have the networks and enjoy the trust of people which helps them implement efficiently to deliver impact. Make no mistake, India requires urgent population scale change for poverty alleviation by rapidly improving access to livelihood, education, healthcare, and nutrition. For this to happen, the key stakeholders – governments, corporate India and civil society organizations must bridge the trust deficit and work in close coordination to improve the effectiveness of public welfare initiatives and pull people out of poverty faster and sustainably.

Floating solar: a small but vital role for India’s sunrise sector

Floating solar plants were never part of India’s plans to reach 100 GW of solar power by the end of this year. But the benefits are becoming clearer and numbers are on the rise. India’s G20 presidency next year offers a “golden opportunity” to accelerate the deployment of renewable energies, environment minister Bhupender Yadav told reporters on April 26 in a meeting with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). This year is a litmus test for progress, representing a deadline for India’s renewable energy target of 175 gigawatts. While floating solar photovoltaic (FSPV) was not originally envisaged as part of the mix, which only included terrestrial and rooftop solar, it has emerged as a small but not insignificant catalyst for the figures. floating solar Binh Thuan, Viet Nam Floating solar ready for take-off Read now → Read now → Despite later including large hydropower in the renewable category to help meet the target of 175 GW, which originally included only small hydropower, India is still set to miss the goal, with 156.6 GW of utility-scale renewables as of March 2022, plus an estimated 11 GW of rooftop solar. The shortfall, due mostly to the slow development of rooftop solar, highlights the need to further diversify India’s portfolio of green energy sources. An alternative to terrestrial solar India’s journey with floating solar began in 2014 when it was approved by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), in Kolkata. S P Gon Chaudhuri, a veteran of the country’s renewable energy sector, told The Third Pole: “The organisation tasked with implementing this project was NBIRT [the NB Institute for Rural Technology], of which I was chairman at the time.” When we start looking for a piece of land, it isn’t easy. In places with a lot of land, there are too many projects and hence, transmission is a challenge. Floating solar addresses so many problems Manu Srivastava, commissioner for new and renewable energy, Madhya Pradesh Once the project was completed, “officials from organisations such as the World Bank visited the site and examined how a floating solar plant is set up, how it works”, Chaudhuri recalls. “Basically, it was a study centre.” Plants in Punjab, Kerala, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu followed, among others. India’s reservoirs cover 18,000 square kilometres with the potential to support 280 GW of floating solar, according to a report by think tank The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). High costs and design challenges are still holding back the deployment of the new technology, which as of November 2021 had an estimated cumulative installed capacity of just 2.7 megawatts, making it little more than a pilot project. However, according to the think tank Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), India now has about 170 MW of operational floating solar capacity and another 1.8 GW under different stages of development. The steep increase, a CEEW spokesperson explained, is due to the fact that the first plants deployed were small, and India has only started implementing large-scale floating solar in recent years. Terrestrial solar PV is land-intensive, and the TERI report recommends exploring alternatives such as floating solar to keep pace with India’s national target of 100 GW of additional solar capacity by the end of 2030. The state of Maharashtra, the authors say, has the most potential and could generate 57.9 GW on 3,173 sq km of its reservoirs’ surfaces. “The FSPV addition is small in relation to the entire market for solar energy, but it could be a viable alternative for speeding up solar power deployment in India,” a 2021 study by researchers at Effat University in Saudi Arabia stated. Floating solar milestones Recent developments in the floating solar space hint at the sector’s promise. In August last year, government-owned NTPC, India’s largest integrated energy company, commissioned a 25 MW project on the reservoir of its Simhadri thermal power station, in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The plant has the potential to generate electricity from over 100,000 solar PV modules, which could light around 7,000 households and avoid the emission of at least 46,000 tons of carbon dioxide every year over its lifespan. In January 2022, the state-owned hydropower corporation NHPC signed a deal with a developer in the eastern state of Odisha to build a 500 MW floating solar plant. It will initially invest over INR 20 billion (USD 261 million) in 300 MW-worth of floating solar projects. The project will help the state to meet its renewable energy generation targets, besides creating investment and employment opportunities. On March 10, 2022, Tamil Nadu’s chief minister MK Stalin inaugurated India’s largest floating solar power plant, which was constructed at a cost of INR 1.5 billion (USD 19.6 million). Scarce land, more water Most Indian states lack land, but have enough water for FSPV. Installing solar on water can increase the panels’ efficiency due to lower temperatures that prevent overheating, Chaudhuri explained. Manu Srivastava, commissioner for new and renewable energy with the government of Madhya Pradesh, said: “When we start looking for a piece of land, it isn’t easy. In places with a lot of land, there are too many projects and hence, transmission is a challenge… Floating solar addresses so many problems.” Avnish Shukla is executive engineer at Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Ltd, a joint venture that has commissioned solar projects in Madhya Pradesh. Shukla told The Third Pole that a 600 MW floating solar plant in the state of Madhya Pradesh will be commissioned by August 2023, likely to be one of the largest in the world. Shukla said that solar projects often occupy barren land, not used by agriculture, industry or people. “Since there is scarcity of such a type of land, we face trouble… In such a scenario, water bodies are perfect. Moreover, water will evaporate if we do not use it to install solar panels [to reflect the sun’s rays].” Vinay Rustagi, the managing director of Bridge to India, a renewable energy consultancy, pointed out that some floating solar sites that are located near hydropower projects or in thermal plant reservoirs already have ready access to their transmission infrastructure. Falling costs Ground-based installations still form 93.1 per cent of India’s grid-connected solar PV, according to a 2020 report by TERI. Utility-scale solar costs fell 84 per cent between 2010 and 2018, making large-scale solar cheaper in India than anywhere else. According to Chaudhuri, the cost of setting up a floating solar plant is currently INR 50-60 million (USD650,000-780,000) per MW, while conventional land-based solar projects cost the equivalent of USD 520,000 per MW, a difference that explains the slow take-off of the technology. However, he said, floaters and maintenance are becoming more cost-effective. “India needs to meet certain targets it has committed to by 2030, which means states need to adopt more such [floating solar] plants, as they do not have so much land to spare,” he said. According to Srivastava, transporting the lightweight but big floaters the panels sit on can be a challenge. However, these are low-tech components, so manufacturing plants installed near the development site could bring costs down further. Floating solar projects do require longer due to the need for more detailed assessments of sites’ hydrography and water-bed topography. Furthermore, both the capital and operating costs are slightly higher due to the more complex design and risks of working in water, Srivastava added. Rustagi, however, said the local governments and municipal agencies in charge of most inland water bodies must push for them. Binit Das, deputy renewable energy programme manager at New Delhi think tank the Centre for Science and Environment, agreed but said there are other, more technical hurdles to overcome: “The solar floating system needs to hold solar panels on the water for over 25 years, so the racking system needs to be highly resistant to corrosion, must have a long lifespan and high load capacity.” He added: “Since this is a relatively new solar power technology, it requires specialised solar power equipment and more niche solar panel installation knowledge.”

Demolition Politics Ignores The Ecological Impact Of 'Development'

Construction and demolition (C and D) waste is considered to be one of the top sources of pollution and environmental degradation globally. It has been estimated that New Delhi produced 4,500 to 5,000 tonnes of C and D waste per day. In keeping with the wave of ‘bulldozer politics’ in nearby states like Uttar Pradesh where the BJP is in power, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), ruled by the BJP, recently announced a 10-day anti-encroachment drive in several areas of Delhi including the South Zone, Najafgarh Zone, West Zone and Central Zone. In most cases, the demolitions are being carried out by in densely populated areas occupied by migrant workers and slum-dwellers. Not just Delhi, demolitions have also taken place in Gurugram where the District Town Planning Enforcement carried out demolitions in areas like the Banjara Market and Saraswati Kunj. The drives have once again raised the question of pollution and beg a look at the environmental toll of demolitions. A 2019 study titled ‘Source Apportionment of PM10 and PM2.5 of Delhi NCR for Identification of the major sources of pollution found that dust from roads, construction, demolition along with soil dust contributed to a significant 23 to 31 per cent of the PM10 concentration in the air during winters. These sources also contributed to 15 per cent of the PM2.5 in winter in Delhi and NCR regions. In November last year, the Delhi government put a temporary ban on construction and demolition activities following a string of days with ‘severe’ or ‘very bad’ air quality. The ban was meant to cut down on pollution caused by demolition and construction work, which is one of the top sources of dust pollution in urban developing settings. While much of the criticism over demolitions has centred around the impact it has on the socio-economic welfare of marginalised populations and the reportedly communal angle of the planned demolitions around the city. The environmental harm caused by these demolitions remains a neglected matter. Construction and demolition (C and D) waste is considered to be one of the top sources of pollution and environmental degradation globally. It has been estimated that New Delhi produced 4500 to 5000 tonnes of C and D waste per day (as noted in 2018). Such waste includes dust, rubble, debris, and construction material. While C and D waste is created by construction, remodelling, renovation as well as demolition, a 2015 study by Gayakwad and Sasane found that demolition pucca and semi-pucca constructions alone typically produces 300 and 500kg per sqm of waste respectively in India. Demolition can lead to excessive dust, noise, smoke and odour. Residents living near areas where demolitions have taken place run the risk of getting impacted by fugitive discharges like harmful gas leaks that were inadvertently caused by the destruction. Demolition often causes huge plumes of smoke and dust that can adversely impact people suffering from respiratory diseases. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the Construction & Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016 on 29 March 2016 to set out guidelines for C and D waste management by generators across the country and set ecological and sustainability standards. It laid out certain mandates for carrying out construction or demolition work including ensuring optimum waste management. According to the rules, the “service provider shall prepare a comprehensive waste management plan for waste generated within their jurisdiction” and “remove all construction and demolition waste in consultation with the concerned local authority on their own or through any agency”. C and D waste management nevertheless remains a problem that gets little to no attention. Last year, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation became the first of Delhi's civic bodies that took the initiative to transport C and D waste from locations in Delhi to designated dumps and recycle plants such as the one set up in Burari. But the initiative got a lukewarm response, reportedly due to the high cost of the service. The EDMC charges over Rs 400 to clear one tonne of construction waste. Meanwhile, the debris caused by the round of demolitions which seem to have begun at Jahangirpuri last month has not entirely been cleared up yet. The streets of Jahangirpuri and other parts where demolitions took place are dusty with rubble lying around. Not just Delhi, other places where recent demolition drives have taken place such as the city of Rajgarh in Alwar Rajasthan continue to be drowned in debris and dangerous projectiles. The residents of the area reported water and electricity shortages due to the disturbance in pipelines and wirings. In India, one often sees demolition debris accumulating for months before being unscientifically disposed of. A 2020 report titled Another Brick off the Wall: Improving construction and demolition waste management in Indian cities by the Centre for Science and Environment found that India recycled only one per cent of its C and D waste. The country produces 150 million tonnes of C and D waste in a year but as of 2020, it only had the capacity to treat 6,500 tonnes per day, which means just 1.3 per cent of the total waste generated. Delhi produces nearly 5,000 tonne of C and D waste out of which the North Delhi region generates nearly 2,000 TPD daily. When carrying out necessary demolition activities, authorities need to ensure proper C and D waste management. A 2018 paper titled ‘The Impact of C & D Waste on Indian Environment: A Critical Review’ made certain recommendations for reducing C and D waste that can be vital in reducing the environmental impact of demolition activities. First is to prevent illegal open dumping of debris and excavated earth on roadsides, low-lying areas and river beds. Such dumping often leads to pile up of debris which is not only an eyesore but also causes traffic inconveniences, choking of drains, groundwater pollution Additionally, authorities must conduct site to site assessments of the environmental impact of the demolition and ensure imposing dust-averting and noise cancellation strategies to minimise harm. Experts have also recommended a shift from ‘demolition’ to ‘deconstruction’ as the way forward for urban development and city planning. Deconstruction refers to dismantling buildings with the goal of maximising the reuse potential of its components. Demolition refers to razing of buildings in such a way that the components of the building are unlikely to be fit for reuse and can only be recycled or sent o a landfill. Deconstruction is not only a more sustainable option but also espouses responsible development by paving the way toward rehabilitation of the people living in or using the buildings prior to dismantling so as to ensure people don’t lose their homes and livelihoods. Achieving sustainability goals goes beyond increasing the longevity of things and includes including the longevity of people. Development and demolition plans have a tendency to cause more harm to the proverbial ‘have-nots’ than the ‘haves’. Razing even illegally built or homes and shops in the name of anti-encroachment and ‘beautification’ is not in the best interests of the slum dwellers, migrant workers, the poor and the marginalised who are displaced from their homes and shops. Such urban development highlights the inherent class structure in presumably meritocratic urban spaces that predefine the division between those who reap the benefits of the country’s development and those who pay the price.